Day 964: Kiss Goodnight

While out in California, something was brought to the forefront that I've never really thought about before. One of the most amazing things about Disneyland in comparison to Walt Disney World is the fact that it's filled with such a unique history.  Disneyland is the original. It's the only place Walt has stepped foot, and beyond that, Disneyland has a population of very loyal fans. So many of the people there are regulars, some of which have traveled there throughout their lifetimes. While I've only been to Disneyland twice, and as many times as I've been to Walt Disney World, I've only been there over the period of 20 years, and the history of both resorts goes far beyond that.

Just think about it for a minute. Disneyland is 60 now, and Walt Disney World is quickly appraoching 50. We've gone from basically no attractions, to more than one park in both locations. Ticket Prices have changed time and time again. Heels got stuck in pavement once, and now you can buy heels on property. We went from A Tickets to E Tickets to Fastpasses to Phones, and we're still going. It was once said that Disneyland will never be completed as long as there's still imagination left in the world, and as we approach big changes for Disney Parks and Resorts all across the world, I think we need to keep that in mind. That's a blog post for another day though. There is, however, one thing that's never changed: The Kiss Goodnight.

Those of us who head to Disney Parks time and tiem again spend a lot of money, that's no question. It puts a huge hole in our wallets when we head to Disney Parks, but as much as we'll spend money on food and tickets and merchandise, and, in the past, even specific attractions, there's always been one thing that's free for everyone, something that we can all enjoy every night. Walt called it the Kiss Goodnight, and throughout the Disney parks it's come to life in various ways. Since 1958, Fireworks have lit up the night sky at Disneyland with Fantasy in the Sky. In the years after, many other fireworks shows would premiere at Disneyland, and back at Walt Disney World, things would only become more grand. Also at Disney World, the Kiss Goodnight has become a special secret bit of magic that rounds out every day at the Magic Kingdom, one that I try to see at least once a trip. The Kiss Goodnight, now, has expanded further into a brand new song written for the Diamond Celebration at Disneyland.

And I'd never really thought about the Kiss Goodnight before, at least not on a larger scale. The Kiss Goodnight is another of those little elements that makes Disney different from anywhere else on earth, and I like to think that, regardless of where it is, the Kiss Goodnight is a little bit of Walt with us each and every night, whether it be watching the Kiss Goodnight at Magic Kingdom, Happiness on High at the Tokyo Disneyland Resort, Disney Dreams at Disneyland Paris, Disney in the Stars out in Hong Kong, IllumiNations at Epcot, or Disneyland Forever right back at Disneyland. It's his little extra bit of Pixie Dust thrown on to the end of our Disney vacation, and it's something we can always count on, and that's an amazing idea.

But then again, the Disney Parks, no matter which one is your home, will always be ours, forever.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on Septmeber 14 due to a tight schedule).